Airdropped portable windsock

ABSTRACT

A pointed shaft having a shell and fins slidably mounted about it and supported by a peg at its upper end for guiding the shaft to the ground after being dropped from a plane and for exposing and actuating a spring-loaded windsock.

United States Patent Kenneth Lediord 274 Sunset Ave Buffalo, Wyo. 82834 842,214

July 16, I969 June 29, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented AIRDROPPED PORTABLE WINDSOCK 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 73/188 Int. Cl i i G0lw 1/00 lField olSearch 73/188, 189

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Queisser Assistant Examiner-John P. Beauclhamp Attorney-Victor J. Evans & Co.

ABSTRACT: A pointed shaft having a shell and fins slidably mounted about it and supported by a peg at its upper end for guiding the shaft to the ground after being dropped from a plane and for exposing and actuating a spring-loaded windsock.

AIRDROPPED PORTABLE WINDSOCK This invention relates to a reusable portable windsock device which may be dropped from a plane, the device being actuated upon impact with the ground for indicating to the pilot approximate velocity and direction of wind.

There is a need in undeveloped areas where landing fields do not exist for a device to alert the pilot to wind velocity and direction which, if misjudged, could lead to a crash landing. Also, wind direction and velocity are extremely important factors in dropping cargo especially in war zones where cargo can easily be blown into rivers or enemy hands.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a portable windsock device which automatically indicates wind velocity and direction to a pilot upon striking the ground after being dropped from a plane by means ofa guidance shell structure and a spring-loaded windsock.

The above and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred form of this invention taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the guided windsock structure;

F IG. 2 is a side view of the guided windsock structure after hitting the ground;

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the guidance structure shown without the windsock; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the windsock spring in operation.

Referring in detail to the drawing there is disclosed a shaft 20 with a sharpened point 22 at its lower end and a cylindrical shell 24 slidably mounted over the shaft at its upper end and supported by a peg 26 within an aperture 28. Shell 24 at its upper end has four vertical fins 29 equally spaced about its circumference. The top of shell 24 is in the form ofa vertical dish 30 having sides along its perimeter except for the top of the dish partially enclosing a windsock 32 which is made of a bright material and which is attached to a ring 34 on a swivel 36 at the top of shaft 20. Secured perpendicular to the upper end of ring 34 is a spring 40 which is within windsock 32 and which is bent so that it is parallel with shaft 20 and ring 34 when it is partially enclosed by dish 30.

Shell 24 and fins 29 guide windsock 32 partially enclosed within dish 30 to the ground for landing perpendicular thereto. As shown in FIG. 2 shaft 20 buries into the ground upon impact which also causes peg 26 to break allowing shell 24 to slide to the ground uncovering windsock 32 and spring 40 which springs out to its normal position perpendicular to ring 34 allowing wind to blow into windsock 32 as shown in FIG. 5. windsock 32 will extend outward from ring 34 as the wind blows into it, the approximate velocity of the wind being indicated by the droop of windsock 3.2 which is parallel to the ground in a high wind and perpendicular thereto in no wind. windsock 32 will also pivot about stem 38 by means of ring 34 which is attached to swivel 36 so that windsock 32 extends outward from ring 34 parallel to the direction in which the wind is blowing,

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications and changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. An airdropped portable windsock, comprising:

a shaft sharpened to a point at the bottom thereof and having an aperture therein near the top thereof;

a cylindrical shell slidably mounted over the upper end of said shaft;

a plurality of vertical fins secured to and equally spaced about the circumference of said shell for guiding said shaft perpendicular to the ground when dropped from a plane;

a swivel at the top of said shaft;

a ring pivotally mounted on said swivel for rotation about the axis of said shaft; I a windsock attached to said ring at the open end thereof;

a spring mounted perpendicular to said ring, said spring being covered by said windsock and partially supporting and extending outwardly said windsock, and said spring being bendable to a direction parallel with said ring;

a vertical dish formed at the top of said shell extending above said shaft, said dish being open at the top thereof and having sides extending perpendicular therefrom partially enclosing said ring and said windsock, and said spring being forcibly pressed by said dish into a bent position parallel with said ring;

a peg with a length greater than the diameter of said shaft inserted in the aperture of said shaft for supporting said shell as said shaft falls through the air after being dropped from a plane and for allowing said shell to slide down said shaft upon impact as the sharpened point of said shaft sticks into the ground causing said peg to sever under the weight of said shell exposing said ring with said windsock attached thereto and said spring which bends back to a direction perpendicular to said ring allowing wind to blow into said windsock. 

1. An airdropped portable windsock, comprising: a shaft sharpened to a point at the bottom thereof and having an aperture therein near the top thereof; a cylindrical shell slidably mounted over the upper end of said shaft; a plurality of vertical fins secured to and equally spaced about the circumference of said shell for guiding said shaft perpendicular to the ground when dropped from a plane; a swivel at the top of said shaft; a ring pivotally mounted on said swivel for rotation about the axis of said shaft; a windsock attached to said ring at the open end thereof; a spring mounted perpendicular to said ring, said spring being covered by said windsock and partially supporting and extending outwardly said windsock, and said spring being bendable to a direction parallel with said ring; a vertical dish formed at the top of said shell extending above said shaft, said dish being open at the top thereof and having sides extending perpendicular therefrom partially enclosing said ring and said windsock, and said spring being forcibly pressed by said dish into a bent position parallel with said ring; a peg with a length greater than the diameter of said shaft inserted in the aperture of said shaft for supporting said shell as said shaft falls through the air after being dropped from a plane and for allowing said shell to slide down said shaft upon impact as the sharpened point of said shaft sticks into the ground causing said peg to sever under the weight of said shell exposing said ring with said windsock attached thereto and said spring which bends back to a direction perpendicular to said ring allowing wind to blow into said windsock. 